One Day Trip from Central Virginia on a Budget: Colonial Williamsburg/ Jamestown Ferry

With rising fuel prices the need to trim every penny from a family's entertainment budget is self evident. These days it often seems like, after you pay for the gas to get somewhere, there is no money left over to actually do anything. This trip solves that problem, your destinations are free. As the old saying goes, "you can't beat that with a stick."

To understand this little stunt you first have to understand one simple fact, though the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation does indeed charge the rough equivalent to the GNP of many third world countries for a family of four to get a pass to the historic area, the streets are still public! They cannot charge you to walk on them! You may come and go as you please and, since many of the shows and displays are clearly visible on the public street, there is nothing to stop you from viewing them with or without a pass.

To top this off, Bruton Parish Church is open to the public and requires no pass at all as are the shops of Merchant Square. Bruton Parish holds a Noonday prayer service every weekday which is open to the public. It is worth visiting. For that matter the restored shops and taverns of Colonial Williamsburg itself require no passes to enter into them. They want you to come in and spend your money.

Of course, you do not actually have to spend a dime. You may take your family and walk around all day if you like. Enjoy the scenery and take pictures as you stroll through the historic district. It is free despite Colonial Williamsburg's many unsuccessful attempts to block off the public streets in the past. The only thing you may have to pay for is parking near Merchants Square, this is at a premium since there is so little of it. The City of Williamsburg has several pay lots in the area.

The other fun point of this day trip is the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry. Operated by the Virginia Department of Transportation this ferry system runs between Glass House Point on the North bank of the James River, next to Jamestown (yes, THAT Jamestown), to the Scotland Wharf in Surry County on the South bank of the James River. The ferry operates 24 hours a day with as many as four ferry boats in operation, though not necessarily all four at the same time. A crossing takes from fifteen minutes to a half an hour and amounts to a scenic river cruise past Jamestown Island.

The best part about the ferry crossing you ask? It is free! No toll to pay. You pull your vehicle onto the ferry, park it and hop out to enjoy the ride. Kids especially enjoy this trip. Be sure to bring your camera since you will have opportunities for some great pictures even on cloudy days. If you have a decent camera or, better yet, a telephoto lens you may expect some beautiful shots of Historic Jamestown Island and the somewhat touristy "Jamestown Settlement" with its three reproductions ships docked along the north shore of the river. Both of these attractions cost to actually visit but you may see them for free as you glide past on the river. It does not hurt to have a pair of binoculars along either.

Now, how do you get to and from Williamsburg and the Jamestown ferry from the Richmond area? Well, it is a circular round trip involving Interstate 64 and State Route 10. You may drive it either way. We will look at it one way but you may drive the reverse just as easily.

Assuming you would like to get down to Williamsburg quickly, in order to have the most time to enjoy your day, we will take I-64 to Williamsburg. Take I-64 east from Richmond. Then take Exit 238 onto Route143 and make a right at the second stoplight onto Route 132. You will stay on 132 for about two miles, ignoring the signs directing you to the "historic district" (they are trying to direct you to where you would have to buy tickets), and then turn right onto Lafayette Street. Go to the next stoplight and turn left onto North Boundary Street. Drive about half a mile and you will see the College of William and Mary on your right and the historic area on your left. There are public parking areas off to the left both before you get to the historic area and after you have passed it but you will have to pay to park. The City recently put in a large new pay/parking deck about one block over from North Boundary before you reach the historic area. There is some limited free parking in Merchants Square but it is thirty minutes or less and they do MEAN thirty minutes or less.

As a side note, if you are looking for a decent place to eat and you like BBQ you would have driven right past a real Virginia treat coming this route. If, when you got off I-64 you had made an immediate right turn onto the frontage road, you could have visited the famous Pierce's Pit Cooked BBQ restaurant. A well known favorite, Pierce's is visited by people from far and wide and is a fast food styled dining experience which is not overly priced. You should try their sweet potato sticks. Overall, this place is pretty good value for the money spent. There are signs at the exit.

Once you are finished in Colonial Williamsburg, you will have two choices which boil down to being the longer scenic route or the shorter less scenic but still interesting route. For the longer route you may get onto the Colonial Parkway headed towards Jamestown. This pleasant drive will take you just over an hour, assuming you do not stop at the pull offs. The shorter route is to take Route 5 to Route 31. Route 31 is the route which actually crosses the ferry. This route is not as scenic but, in this part of the country, history is practically oozing out of the ground so you will still see plenty. Either way you will come out at Jamestown. The ferry terminal is to the right (upriver) from Jamestowns themselves, both the National Park and the State "Jamestown Settlement."

Get in line, board the ferry, cross the river, have fun. Do not be surprised if your car is singled out for a safety inspection. This has become routine since September 11, 2001.

One you are on the southern shore of the James River follow Route 31 to the town of Surry and make a right turn onto Route 10 heading west. This will take you back toward Hopewell and is a very pleasant and scenic drive.

Another side note here. After you have crossed the ferry and are on the south bank of the James, you will pass the Surry House Restaurant & Country Inn. This is another Virginia favorite which is quite well known. It is a little pricier than Pierce's but, if you stick to the sandwiches it is not too bad. They are famous for their peanut soup. If you would like to plan ahead the Surry House does have a website which includes their menus and pricing.

Also on the south bank of the James River is Chippoke's Plantation State Park. While you do have to pay for parking, and almost anything else you do in the park, it may be a good destination for you to consider for another one day trip sometime.

Bear in mind that this overall route may be driven in either direction, depending on your mood or starting point. If you want something a little different try cutting off I-64 altogether. You may replace it by driving Route 60 between Richmond and Williamsburg. Much like Route 10, Route 60 is a lovely drive. A word of caution however, if you are driving this route back towards Richmond you may wish to get back onto the Interstate as Route 60 crosses I-295. This is particularly so if you are approaching the city in the evening. To be blunt, 60 passes through some less than nice areas of Richmond these days so you may not wish to take it all the way into town.

However you choose to drive this trip you should plan it taking all day. If you do take I-64 to Williamsburg, assuming you leave out around 8-9 AM, you may wish to wrap up in the Colonial area by 2-3 PM and head for the ferry. This should allow you to get back to the Richmond area between 6 and 8 PM depending on how many stops you choose to make.

Also, do not misunderstand about the various attractions mentioned in this article. If you have the money to spend then Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown Settlement (formerly called "Jamestown Festival Park") and the Jamestown National Park are all fine places to visit, if you have the money. Unfortunately, in this day when gas and grocery prices are increased several times a week while most of us have not seen a real pay increase in years... Well, the streets of Williamsburg may still be walked for free and the ferry is still free, enjoy these while you still may.